Neville and Luna
by sensaivscapt
Summary: Neville realizes how his life is slowly falling apart because he has missed the old days of his school years. He gets visited by an old friend and immediately perks up again, not realizing what could befall of him, now that the headmistress (McGonagall) has mysteriously died. Who could have done such a thing! It's up to Neville to find out! I do not own HP! Or the Characters! tyvm!
1. Chapter 1

To Luna,

Hello. I am sorry that I have yet to respond to your last letter. I have had very many things that I had to do. Headmistress McGonagall is making me go forth and take care of many things for her, since she is in failing health. Luna, I think you should go for the position of headmistress. What do you think? We could finally be much closer together.

I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. I know how much you love to go out and do your research as an auror. I know how you would feel cooped up inside of a school for many months of the year.

I really do not have much to say. That is another reason why I have not been around for quite a while. I am sorry, Luna. I just feel like I don't have very many important things to say. I always thought people thought I was stupid or something. So, I've just been keeping to myself, not really talking to much of the staff or anything like that.

I've been thinking about changing jobs, Luna. I love my job here at Hogwarts, but lately since everyone else has gone, and the only person I know is Professor McGonagall, I really do not know why there should be a reason to stay at Hogwarts to teach anymore. Luna. I know, I'm bogging you down with my sadness, when you are out in the world living your dream. I am so sorry. Let me make it up to you somehow. Do you think that we could meet in Hogsmeade somewhere, sometime? You pick the time and the place. Preferably a time that is reasonable for the both of us. And, do you think we could possibly go somewhere more remote? The students here, gave me quite the hassle last time they saw me with you. They thought we were on a date or something.

Were we... on a date? Sorry! Don't answer that if you don't want to. I just wrote before I stopped myself, and I'm writing in indelible ink, damn it! All right, I'm calm. I am so sorry.

I wish you were here, Luna. You're always good to talk to. I need a friend to listen to my woes, sometimes. I let my emotions get too bottled up on the inside.

Love from your friend,

Neville Longbottom.

Neville looked up at the owl patiently waiting for him to finish his letter to Luna. He tied the letter around it's leg and put his last couple of knuts into the pouch and washed it swish away.

"Sometimes, I wish I was a bird so I could fly away too," Neville whispered. He turned around and walked back to the Herbology greenhouses. He sighed, walked into his office/study, and started to grade his students around about their final exams, while waiting impatiently for a reply.

A few moments later, he heard a tap at the door.

"Come in!" He called.

"Hello, Neville. I got your post a little earlier than you expected," The sweet voice called back. Neville perked up happily. "Well. It looks like you're feeling better already juust by seeing me."

"Luna! How are you? What are you doing here? Last time I had heard from you, you were in South America researching wombats," Neville cried. He ran over to the girl, squeezed her tight, hoping that this moment would not go away. "I've missed you, Luna."

"You look different, Neville. Have you been eating? Your hair is thinning out, I've noticed," Luna said dreamily. "Remind me not to muss with it. I wish you had been in South America with me."

Neville smiled happily at her as she slowly wandered around his office. He followed her around slightly.

"Luna?" Neville called, clearing his throat nervously. "Why did you come back?"

"There are so many beautiful objects in here, Neville," Luna said looking at his potted cacti. "I wish I had as many belongings as you did."

"I wouldn't touch that, Luna. That cacti could really...," Neville said quietly as Luna touched the cacti. He rushed over to her. "Come along, Luna! I'll take you to the school nurse."

"I know the way to Madame Pomfrey's," Luna said holding her finger out, while pus started to drip from it.

"Ah, that's the thing Luna. Hogwarts has changed a lot. They renovated almost the whole school," Neville said. "Everywhere is the same, except they redid a lot of the walls, I can't even remember where the room of requirement is anymore."

"That's sweet of you to take me, Neville," Luna said staggering more, as they go closer to the castle doors.

"That's my girl," Neville said smiling slightly. "I wouldn't miss helping you out for the world."

"Where did you say Madame Pomfrey went?" Luna asked, putting her head on his shoulder. Neville scooped her up with ease.

"She passed away a while ago. Luna you're so much thinner now. Have _you _been eating enough?" Neville asked as he walked with ease up the grand staircase. He hurried to the medical ward.

"Miss, Miss? She got poked by my new cacti. You know the one with the the shooting poison?" Neville said to Miss Triss while lying Luna down on the closest bed.

"You're the only one with the antidote, son," Miss Triss said clucking around Luna, who was growing paler by the moment.

"I'm fine, really," Luna said smiling.

"Hush, hon, clearly you are not," Miss Triss said, stroking her long pale blonde hair.

She glanced pointedly at Neville.

He sprinted out the door again. Running back down the halls, he realized he had a class in twenty minutes.

"Shit shit shit. Stupid classes! I have to—MOVE IT!" Neville cried to the kids.

"What's up with him?!" a student asked. Neville paid no attention to them as he scrambled through the Herbology greenhouses and back into his office.

"Think Neville. Think," Neville whispered to himself. "Grandmother sent you all of those things to help you, remember." He rubbed his temples for a moment. "AH HA!" He reached into his inner pocket and found his antidote.

"Calderis!" He cried, brandishing his wand, while sprinting through the greenhouses. The ghost popped up and started fixing up the room.

"YES! It worked, finally... That automatic substitute teacher thing really comes in handy sometimes," Neville said, blushing slightly with pride. "I need to remember these things more often." He smiled to himself as he rushed into the medical area.

"Finally. She is turning blue, and looks like a fish out of water," Miss Triss cried, berating Neville.

"Sorry, Ma'am. I had to make sure that my class was not without a teacher as well," Neville whispered, looking down. Miss Triss clucked at him as she poured the antidote over Luna's finger.

Neville hurried over, dragging a chair along to the side of her bed. Miss Triss threw a stern glance at him that went unnoticed. The swelling slowly started to go down, and Luna finally started to regain some of her color.

"Where have I been?" Luna asked groggily, trying to sit up.

"Ah, uhm. Well, you pricked your finger on my cacti, and well... ended up in the hospital wing, Luna," Neville rushed to say. He jumped forward and shoved her back down on the bed. "Oh I'm sorry!"

"Oof!" Luna cried thumping onto the back of the bed. "It's all right, Neville. I'm fine. You just knocked the wind out of me. That's fine. I suppose I do have a bit of luck pricking my finger on your cacti. Why do you have one in your room, anyway?"

"Erm, I was really studying it. It was sort of like the mimbulus mimbletonia, and that was the only plant I could sort of relate it back to," Neville said, pondering. "If you think about it, plants are the only big resource that we have. All of our food either comes from it, or eats it. And I really want to know what this cacti is about because of those pricks people get from it."

"That's nice, Neville," Luna said softly.

"Oh, I'm boring you, aren't I?" Neville said, coming slightly out of his reverie. "I'm sorry, I just love to talk to plants with someone. Professor Sprout has not answered my last inquiry of plants yet. I hope she is researching as well. We used to share notes, exchange letters I mean, but then... she kind of stopped writing letters to me."

"I'm sorry, Neville. She will come back, eventually," Luna said drifting off into sleep. "I hope she will, I mean, she's a mentor to me. I don't know where I'd be without her," Neville continued. "I remember my first day teaching. She left all of these little reminders. I couldn't believe that she remembered how forgetful I was. And I sent her a note about some plants. I can't really remember their names right now..."

And it continued like that, Neville just talking to Luna about the beginning of his career. He had blossomed into his career late, only because of his nervousness and forgetfulness. Neville looks like he tends to get carried away about things he finds interesting, but from what one can tell, Neville only is interested in plants and Luna. Why isn't he interested in the outside world? Does he not like change? Whatever happened to his parents, Frank and Alice?

"And so that concludes on why monkeys prefer bananas over kiwi," Neville said smiling to himself, and glanced over at Luna. "Oh my God. I actually bored another person to death. Man, I am the worst. I knew that no one was interested in anything that I had to say."

"I do have a lot of interest in what you to say, Neville," Luna said groggily. "I was just resting my eyes."

"Yeah, right, Luna. I know I know. I know what's best for me. I'll just be going back to my office now and sleeping," Neville said getting up and stretching.

"**Emergency! DANGER DANGER! COMING THROUGH. MORTAL DANGER," **a light screamed coming through.

"I hate those things," Neville muttered to himself. They were illuminated balls of light. They looked quite similar to rememberalls, if they shone through with a reddish color, rather than tinted gold. And well, if they shine when someone forgets something.

"Neville, wait!" Luna croaked. "It's almost morning. I should be better soon, right? You were the one who made the antidote. Tell me when I should be better."

"Yeah. You should be better by early this morning. Wow is it tomorrow already?" Neville asked looking out his window.

"Neville. Who is the person next to me?" Luna asked pensively.

"Headmistress McGonagall," Neville replied without really thinking. He spun around quickly. "MISS TRISS! It's Headmistress McGonagall! She's really injured! Come quick!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Neville, I'm sorry but, I can't really see what's going on," Luna said softly. She pushed herself upright again, this time with more ease than the night before.

"It's nothing, Luna. Headmistress McGongall is just coming in," Neville said sitting back down. "She does not look so well, that is all."

"Well, I'm sure she'll come out of it, she's come through it before. Remember when she got hit by all four of those hexes and curses at once?" Luna asked, smiling at Neville.

"Yes, I do, Luna. That was the year where everyone slowly started to grow apart. I haven't been in contact with anyone but you," Neville said glumly.

"OH Good gracious me!" Miss Triss bustled around Headmistress. She pointed at Neville. "Do you have anything you and the potions master could concoct to help with this?!"

"What are her symptoms? I would have to know that and confer with the potions master beforehand to see what kind of ingredients she would need in order to make that potion. Would you like me to go and find the potions master, ma'am?" Neville inquired.

"I suggest you hightail it out of here, before I throw you down into the dungeons myself," Miss Triss cried, brandishing her wand towards Neville, while clumsily ran out the hospital ward's doors.

"Miss, Triss...," Headmistress McGonagall whispered. "Over here. I have been ambushed in my room. Please. Have someone go and look up in there to see what truly happened. You know with my poor eyesight now, I can hardly see a thing."

"I could go for you Professor," Luna said smiling. "When I get better, I mean. Neville says I'm almost healed."

"What does he know? He is not a healer!" Miss Triss exclaimed. "_Headmistress. _I am sure that someone who is willing and able to go and scope out your room."

"I believe this young student would be ready and willing whenever she said she is ready and willing," McGonagall responded.

"Oh, I'm not a student, Ma'am. Well, I used to be, a few years ago," Luna said smiling. "I was the same year as Harry and his gang."

"Oh, of course you were. Luna, correct? You would sometimes help us out when we were in need," Professor McGonagall rasped. She writhed in pain as Miss Triss applied a cold compress to McGongagall's forehead.

"Miss Triss!" Neville gasped, bursting into the door.

"Young Man! You can not sprint in here like a wild hyena. This is a hospital ward not a circus!Now, what did the potions master have to say?" Miss Triss said giving him the evil eye.

"Will-Could I catch my breath first?" Neville asked panting. He leaned on his chair slightly so as to he wouldn't fall over.

"No you may not. This woman could die at any moment and you are standing there trying to catch your breath," Miss Triss exclaimed. "That's it. You are most certainly getting transferred to St. Mungo's." AS she looked at Headmistress McGongagall she said, "No excuses or else you will be getting the wrath of me as well as the rest of us. Now, you two, watch this lass while I go and message St. Mungo's to get here."

"Boy," McGongagall rasped feeling fainter at the second. "I want you to watch over Hogwarts. Just until my replacement gets here. Then, go and find my kill..." She seemed like she was fading and fast.

"Professor McGongagall!" Neville cried. "Luna, go and get Miss Triss! Quickly, your antidote should be fine now. Professor, headmistress, wake up! Please!"

"Neville," She whispered, her eyes gently closed. "Please, avenge my death. I know you are not the strongest of kinds, but I do know that you are a true Gryffendor. And I know that you have been itching to go and see the outside world for some time now."

"I can't just leave everything I own here!" Neville whispered. "I'm too afraid to go, ma'am."

"Oh Neville, we are all terrified at what lies ahead," McGongagall replied with a faint smile tracing around her lips. "But I know you will make the right choice when my replacement gets here." She shuddered slightly, let a shaky breath out and finally relaxed.

"Well you heard the woman, Neville. We have got avenge her!" Luna crooned happily.

"Luna! Were you just listening in on my conversation?! I can't believe you. Where is Miss Triss?" Neville asked, exasperated.

"She's still talking with St. Mungo's healers. She's still breathing, you know?" Luna said smiling. "Check her pulse, it looks like she went into some sort of coma."

"Can witches and wizards even go into a coma?" Neville wondered to himself. "Like, could their magic inevitably help them get out of that coma, or would it just make it worse?"

"You two out! St. Mungo's healers just apparated here and are about to take her up to the hospital and I would assume since both of you were students, that there are no more than five visitors allowed," Miss Triss said, sounding flustered. "Now out! Out!" She followed them waving her wand again, as they hurried out the door and into the hallway.

"So, Neville. What should we do, about Professor?" Luna asked as they amiably walked now.

"Well, as you casually listened into my conversation with her," Neville began. "I am going to somehow act as the headmaster until her replacement arrives. How on Earth am I going to do that, Luna?!"

"What if I told you that I had knowledge of the replacement who will take over McGongagall's place?" Luna said happily as they walked towards the Herbology greenhouses again.

"That would be amazing, Luna! Who is it? What do you know about them?!" Neville asked excitedly. "What can you tell them about me?"

"I don't know who it is, Neville," Luna said uneasily. "But I know that they're coming soon. I just really wish that they would hurry up about it. I'm really worried about the professor."

"She's not just the professor anymore, Luna," Neville responded holding the study door open for her. "She became headmistress when Dumbledore died."

"I know, Neville. But, I will always think that she is just the professor and Dumbledore's right hand man," Luna said waltzing in. "Or woman, I guess."

"You're right Luna. I always think of her that way as well," Neville said, smiling awkwardly. "So, what are you going to do while we wait for these replacements?"

"As in plural?" Luna asked dreamily looking around the study again.

"Didn't you hear McGongagall?" Neville asked tentatively. "She wanted someone to fufill her position. She also wanted me to go out and avenge her and try and concoct a potion that would revive her. That means I also have to leave this school."

"Yes," Luna said thinking hard. "Hmmm. I guess that means we will just have to wait and see won't we? I know that they will be arriving any day now. And they know how to get here. But I do not not know which way they are using to get into Diagon Alley."

"There are so many possibilities to get in there," Neville said, sitting down in his red easy chair. "Oh! Where are my manners? Would you like anything to eat, drink, or something else of the sort?"

"I would like something to eat if you don't mind," Luna said smiling. "Let's go together!"

"Go where?" Neville asked curiously. "I was just going to conjure up some food..."

"To go and see the houselves, silly! I haven't been down to the kitchen in ages!"

"Oh, right the house elves. I don't seemingly remember where they put the kitchens. But I trust that you do."

"You bet I do! Come on, Neville!" She cried.

And with that Luna took her hand and they ran through the greenhouses in the middle of class, Neville secretly grateful of conjuring up a substitute. He didn't stop to think if the ghost could be his substitute or if the ghost actually was. He was just so happy to be holding Luna's hand. To be actually able to talk to someone about the experiences he had. And not to mention that this girl happened to be the longest crush that he had on a girl. But Neville didn't have to tell her that part at all.

They stumbled up the stairs giggling and got onto one of the moving staircases to downstairs. Neville laughed and caught Luna as she fell into him, realizing that she had not been on one of these in a very long time.

"No worries," He said easily. "I'll just hold you until they've stopped moving." Luna laughed happily, and claimed that there were nargels in Neville's hair.

"There are not!" Neville huffed, teasingly. "I have too little hair!"

"Nargels can be in anyone's hair! Whether it thick or thin," Luna said sternly hopping off the last staircase. "We're here. Best foot forward Neville. I wonder if Winky is still in there."

"I don't know, Luna," Neville said smiling. "I haven't been down here since the last time you've visited me."

"Well, that's quite sometime then," Luna said, tickling the pear. The picture swung open and walked into the kitchen that smelled so much like the perfect essence of food.

"oooooh, an outsider," An elf gazed in awe. "We can prepare you anything you like miss..."

"Anything you have would be perfect for me," Luna said playing with a piece of her hair. "You always make the best food." The house elves scurried around the two shoving food, plates, forks, knives, anything and everything into their hands.

"Thank you everyone, but I think that's enough," Neville said smiling. "It's almost time for supper anyways. I have to get to the Great Hall. Do you think you could manage this on your own, Luna?"

"Windgardium Leviosa," Luna said pointing the tip of her wand at all of the food. "Yes, I think I can manage."

"Good, I'll be back in a jiffy, and we can discuss what we will do while we wait," Neville said excitedly. "And to think, you only came in just this morning. That seems like ages ago!"

"Doesn't it?" Luna said breezily walking out the door with the floating food. "I hope nobody minds that I am here. But I am here on official business, in a sense."

"That girl," Neville said, climbing out and shutting the picture. He hurried back up the staircases to the main floor and entered into the Great Hall.

Supper could not have gone any slower for Neville. Headmistress McGonagall's right hand man (or woman Neville should say, or was it lady?) made a long speech about how the Headmistress would be taking some time off for how she had grown weary of her old bones, but would be back after such a time of recovery.

Neville rolled his eyes as subtle as possible. He looked down at the table, and the food popped out, forcing him to come out of his own reverie. Dinner to him was always such a drag because he would always have a huge stack of grading papers ahead of him, that he wished he could get done instead of having to be sociable and cordial.

"Professor Longbottom?" The charms teachers called. "Do you think that you could pass the potatoes down the table sometime soon?"

"Oh I'm sorry Professor, I guess that I had a lot on my mind," Neville said nervously. He handed the potatoes down to the charms professor and hurried away from the dinner table.

That was enough social interaction for one day, Neville thought. It was time to get back to Luna. He had missed her too much to let it go on for too long. When he got back to his office, he had noticed that she was curled up into the corner.

"Luna," He said, rushing over to her side. "What happened?"

"Hello," A man whispered softly, coming out of the shadows. "I did not mean to do it, but I am your new substitute."

"Oh, all right. Let me just take care of the ghost, and this dying girl then!" Neville cried.

"I took care of the ghost. I stepped out and put a binding spell on the girl," The man said, still speaking softly.

"What?! Release her then!" Neville shouted. "She is supposed to help me.

The man had a soft complexion. He had dark brown eyes, and big foggy glasses. It seemed like he was constantly quivering and had somehow managed to look like a fellow geek. He had long dark brown hair with a greenish tint, all in cornrows. He stood tall to Neville, who was crouched down on the floor. His cloak was a bit shabby, and his things were strewn across the floor.

Luna stuttered finally, and took a long gasp of air. Neville hadn't realizing he was holding his breath until he felt the rest of it go out. He sat down on the floor, took Luna in his arms, and stroked her long hair softly. She continued to shudder slightly while curling up into a ball. Neville folded his arms around her while trying subtly trying to conjure up a blanket.

"Here, have a pastry," The man said, handing it to Luna. "I know that you must be hungry with all of this food lying about."

Neville glared at the man while he handed Luna some food.

"Who are you?" Neville asked.

"I am only your replacement and Headmistress McGonagall's replacement. I am doing both Transfiguration and Herbology," The man quietly explained.

"How can you? There are both classes going on at the same time," Neville asked exasperated. He smiled as his victory was won when a blanket shot out of his wand. He grabbed it and pulled it around Luna who was quietly munching on the same pastry.

"It's not as simple as you'd think, Neville," The man responded. He stood up and walked swiftly over to the only window. "I have had much trouble to finally be able to come back to Hogwarts. Much more than you'd believe."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"This is no ordinary spell, is it?" Neville whispered anxiously. "Clearly she isn't getting better. This isn't a normal body bind curse. Believe me, I would bloody well know what those are."

"You are correct, it is not. I put a confundus charm on her. She will be all right though," The man said kneeling down. "You care about this girl."

"Sir, why are you really here? Clearly, you are only meant to hurt us," Neville quietly stated. "I would banish you, if I had my wand."

"You cannot, Headmistress McGongagall specifically requested me to be her substitute," The man said rather coldly. "I am to be called Professor Barbous."

"That is a rather odd name," Neville thought. "Luna would probably love it..."

"As I said before," the Professor said pacing up and down the little wooden office. "I shall be taking over for both you and the Headmistress. That will be quite a workload for myself."

"Then why did you agree to take this job anyways?" Neville responded as coldly as he could. He mustered up the strength to pick Luna up. She was surprisingly lightweight, and wispy even to Neville.

"I shall require assistance," The professor said nodding to himself. "Would you kindly stay with me to cover your shifts as well? You will be greatly rewarded from both myself and the Headmistress if I do say so myself."

"I can't for I have something that headmistress has told me to do," Neville stuttered. "I also require Luna's assistance, and the help of a few others. So I bid you good day. I need to pack."

"Ah, but also these are to be my quarters as well," The professor said smiling coolly.

"You probably are needed some sort of orientation aren't you?" Neville grumbled to himself. He set Luna down, who looked paler by the minute.

He grabbed a traveling bag and started grabbing random items. Neville tried to pack efficiently while trying to run through places that could have any sort of herbs to make a potion to heal Headmistress McGongagall.

"Why would she want me? She's at St. Mungo's. Where all of the best healers are," Neville wondered as he put the rest of his things into his own satchel. Thanks to Hermione, he learned how to put on the spell to have a never ending satchel. Well, it did have an end, but it had like an extension that no one else could see. Neville made a mental note to thank that smart girl.

"Luna. Do you have any bags with you?" Neville asked quietly.

"No, I just have these clothes," Luna said smiling softly. "We could go back to my house, and I could pick them up. If you don't mind. Could that be our first stop?"

"Of course, Luna," Neville said smiling, looking up at her. "We can go there first, of course."

"Would you hurry up please?" Professor Barbous exclaimed from the background. "If you are not willing to help, then why are you still here?" Professor Barbous called over his satchel and started unpacking.

"We are hurrying. Would you mind giving us a moment?" Neville asked heatedly.

"And here I was under the impression that I was here to help your lot," Professor Barbous humphed and stalked into the greenhouses.

Neville sighed and continued to pack up his most precious things into his trunk. He gazed fondly around the room that he had spent the last five years in, and finally fixed his gaze upon Luna. Snapping out of his reverie, he scooped Luna up while levitating his bag. He gave a quick nod to the ever so odd looking Professor Barbous. His hooked nose, his light blue eyes, his crooked teeth and statuesque look, and ashen hair made him think about Professor Snape.

"I know this is probably nothing, but do you happen to know a man by the name of Severus Snape?" Neville asked tentatively.

"I am not at liberty to answer that question, now am I?" the professor responded. "Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere young man?"

"Yes, but all in good time my companion. What exactly are you hiding?" Neville demanded.

"Neville, please. I'm not feeling too well, would you please just apparate me to St. Mungo's?" Luna asked, hacking up blood.

"Oh, man. To be continued. Luna, you know people can't just apparate in and out of the castle. 100 yards remember? Or was it 1000? I can never remember!" Neville cried mainly to himself. He burst through the doors of the herbology room, sprinting through the empty halls. For once, he was glad that he was actually be able to miss the chaos of kids coming back from supper. Running up the staircases, he headed towards the wall for the door of the room of requirement.

"Oh man, I really hope that Harry was wrong that it got destroyed by a hex fire," Neville muttered to himself, as he thought to himself how much he needed to get to the Hog's Head, as he marched up and down three times. He breathed a little bit easier as the door flickered in. Neville pulled the door open, while sending the floating bag in first as he carried Luna.

"Wait," He thought to himself. He set Luna down for a moment as he hung the bag on his back, and put his wand away. "Man, I would have gotten so many cramps from that."

He picked Luna back up and opened the other door and started sprinting down the familiar steps to the Hog's Head. It was damper then usual, erosion and weathering had finally gotten to the staircases as Neville ran through. After he finally got to the frame, he realized the it had been boarded up.

"Jesus," He muttered to himself. "What was that spell? Hermione taught me it! Deprimo!" He smiled as the sound of a cannon went off from his wand and blasted a hole where the picture used to be. "Reminder to redo Albus's little sister's painting. She was a gorgeous little girl." He smiled to himself as he thought about St. Mungo's as the feeling of being strangled by vines came rushing to him.

"Hello, hi. I need to go somewhere that this girl can get help. She's dying from an unknown plant," Neville said hurriedly to the front desk person.

"3rd floor, second set of elevators you come to," The girl said, sounding bored. She went back to filing her nails as Neville ran through the crowds.

"Why is it whenever I try to get somewhere, there are always huge crowds around?" Neville asked himself.

"You were in the war. You're pretty...," Luna started hacking up more blood.

"Hush," Neville whispered. "I've got you now, we're almost there." He burst through the elevators and went up to the main desk. "She's coughing up blood, and she touched an unknown plant in my office so I have no idea what to do or where to go."

"Sounds interesting," The girl said not looking up. "I'll get a doctor while you fill this information out about the girl." The girl stood up while Neville whipped out his wand and started filling out the information for Luna.

"Hello," The doctor said pleasantly, picking up the chart. "You must be Luna Lovegood."

Neville nodded for her, while following the doctor. He took them to a secluded room, and started checking Luna's vitals.

"An unusual plant, you say? What kind?" The doctor asked as he started putting her on a breathing machine.

"It wasn't one I had ever seen before," Neville started to explain. "I'm a herbology professor at Hogwarts so I thought that I knew almost every plant out there."

"If you've never left Hogwarts, there are few more plants out there, not including the muggle ones. This looks like it could be nightshade," The doctor said. "I'm surprised that she hasn't died yet."

"I have to get out of here," Neville whispered. "I'll be in the tea room on the fourth floor." He rushed out, and booked it down the hallway, up the steps and passed his mom and dad's old room. He skidded to a stop for a moment. "Mom, Dad. I have loved this girl, ever since 5th year, and she kicked ass when my friends and I were at the Ministry of Magic. Now, I have no idea what this Nightshade is, but if Luna lives through this, I would be the happiest man alive. Nothing would matter to me anymore. I can't let her go." He sat down, wiping a tear from his eye. "I love Hogwarts, but really kept me there was my drive for Herbology and Luna's support. She's just so intelligent. And don't get me wrong, we have a lot in common as well, but if she didn't also write that recommendation letter for me, I might not have been able to teach at Hogwarts. Mom, or Dad, what should I do?" He looked up at the ceiling before crumpling his face into his hands. He brought his legs up to his face, and wrapped his arms around his legs

"Professor Longbottom?" A kid whispered.

Neville looked up tentatively, "Albus Severus? Oh my God. Why are you here?"

"Mummy's in the hospital getting surgery. Dad said that I didn't have to go to school while she was having surgery," he said proudly.

"What year are you in this year?" Neville asked patting the floor next to him. "Are you in any of my classes?"

"I've been in your class for the past two years silly," Albus Severus cried! "I'm actually up for the herbology award."

"Are you?" Neville said smiling. "Well, it's quite an honor. Did you know, that when I was at school, they did not have a herbology award? They added that the year after I left. There are the usual awards, Hermione Granger won most of them."

"Auntie Hermione did?!" Albus Severus asked, astonished. "That can't be true!"

"She is quite intelligent. You should ask her about that," Neville chuckled. "She helped me out with a lot of trouble in my potions class. That teacher didn't really like me."

"Did you hear that this is Professor Slughorn's last year?" Albus Severus asked. "I liked him. He liked me as well. He keeps telling me that I have the potions class in my blood, so I should make the best."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, Albus," Neville said smiling. "I didn't do too well with Potions and yet, I'm somehow still working at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, thanks Professor Longbottom," Albus replied. He looked off into the distance for the moment.

"Hey, where's your father?" Neville asked. "I would like to talk to him for a moment."

"He hasn't left mummy's side in the operation. He really loves her," Albus said absently. "He said that he would never leave her side if it kills him."

"Thank you," Neville whispered to the ceiling. "Hey Albus, tell your father that I need to see him soon. I'll be on the third floor. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded as Neville hurried back downstairs. As he rounded the corner to the door, he took a sigh and walked in.

"Hello?" Neville called. He rushed in and saw that the bed was empty and made, with a card neatly folded on top. "Well, I guess there's a chance that this could start my mystery.

Hello-

I have taken her hostage for the master. You should have heard of him by now.

He's your worst nightmare. Now that your headmistress is out of the way, no one will

be able to stop me. The girl knew too much. I will be able to have as many sacrifices

as I can get my hands on, thanks to you. That door in the Hog's Head you burst open,

was protecting your school from me. So truly, thank you for opening the gates of

Hell.

~M~


End file.
